Ruler of the Moon: A Yue Romance
by Jade Raven 21
Summary: *Finished* In the time of Clow, Yue finds someone who he cares for (not Clow), but an evil threatens to separate the two. Can Clow, Keroberus, and Yue save their new friend? Shonen ai, the sequel 'Heavenly Little Bunny' is now up.
1. Chapter 1

Disclamer: I don't own Card Captor Sakura. 

Chapter 1

A man walked down the street of the town. He wore a black cloak and had a pack on his back. Suddenly a bright light flashed before him. He abruptly stopped as he was momentarily blinded. After about five seconds he attempted to open his eyes and found that he had stumbled into an alley. He turned to leave only to find his way blocked by a great hulk of a man. Glancing behind him, the man in black found another man of slighter build than his companion. 

"Give up," the slighter man sneered. 

Without another thought, only knowing that he had to escape, the man in black swiftly reached beneath his cloak and brought out a necklace. He mumbled some words and all of a sudden a bright glow surrounded him and the object in his hand grew. When the glow had died down the man in black was holding a staff about seven feet high. 

Knowing he had to get the staff the larger man lunged at the man in black. The man in black sidestepped the great hulk and grabbed the end of his staff with his other hand. In one fluid motion, the staff was transformed into a long whip. He cracked the whip at the two men and began backing out of the alley slowly. When he had taken only three steps, the man in black encountered an obstacle. A massive arm wrapped around his throat and wrenched the hand with the whip around behind his back. 

"You will never escape again," the slighter man said as he punched the man in black in the stomach making him drop the whip and recoil in pain. The man who had grabbed him from behind dropped him heavily to the ground, and he heard a crack as pain shot up his leg. The whip was kicked out of his reach. The second man walked over and kicked the man in black in the side making him whimper in pain. The slighter man leaned down and turned his face so that their eyes met. Then he said with a sneer, "the master will enjoy punishing you." 

Just then a bright light flashed from the street and the three men turned to see who would dare interfere with them. The largest man's feet suddenly left the ground as a silver angel-looking man grabbed his shoulders and flew him over a trash pile, where the larger man was dumped. Then a large, golden, lion-looking creature pounced on the second man. He hit the ground with a thud and was knocked unconscious. The slighter man looked up to see a dark man in long robes standing at the end of the alley. The angel and the lion flew back to his side as he raised his staff and muttered a few words. Suddenly a powerful wind blew and picked up the three men and they were flown away to an unknown destination. 

Meanwhile, the man in black was crawling the best he could to reach his whip-staff. He tried his best to ignore the pain in his ankle and the ache in his side. He reached out, grabbed the whip, and flipped around; ready to defend against whatever else wanted him. 

The dark man stood at the end of the alley, the angel and the lion on either side of him. "Don't worry, we won't hurt you. It looks like you need some help." 

The man in black just looked at him, unsure whether to trust him or not. From the look in his eyes he seemed to be a kind man, but the man in black had been tricked before and would not fall for any tricks. He did need help and decided to trust this man, if only for long enough to get healed and escape. 

"I. . . my ankle is broken. . . and. . . I can't get up. . ." his voice trailed off as the dark man just nodded and motioned to the angel next to him. 

The angel stepped, or rather floated, over to the man in black. He instinctively drew the whip up to his chest and the angel stopped. 

"Don't worry, there is no need for anyone else to get hurt. You can put that remarkable weapon away now." The dark man proclaimed. 

The man in black used the little bit of magic he had left to shrink the whip-staff back to its compact size. The angel walked over and knelt down. In one fell swoop he lifted the man in black into his arms and walked back towards the dark man. 

The dark man spoke to the angel; "put him in one of the guest rooms and we will be there shortly." With that, the angel lifted off of the ground, the man in black in his arms, and flew away from the alley. 

"What do you think they wanted from him master?" the lion said to the dark man. 

"I don't know, but we must be on guard just in case they come back for him." 

"Why are we keeping him safe?" 

"We will do everything we can for him, because I believe he will play a major role in the future."   


~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

  


The flight took about ten minutes, and by that time the man in black had fallen asleep, most likely from the pain he must be experiencing from the beating he had received. 

Yue flew to a balcony on the second floor of his master's mansion. He opened the glass doors and stepped inside. He carefully laid the man in black on the bed and proceeded to remove his brown shoes, the pack and the black cloak that was now covered in filth from the alley where the man had been found and rescued by himself, Keroberos, and his master, Clow Reed. 

Beneath the cloak, Yue found the man had long, dark red hair that reached to just above his waist and was tied back with a length of dark green cloth. The man's robe was a dark emerald with a gold outline on the collar and sleeves. 

Yue pulled the sheets on the bed down and set the man upon the mattress. While he waited for his master, Yue couldn't help but notice how pretty the man looked with the moonlight filtering in from the open balcony doors. His features seemed to be enhanced, the way his eyelashes rested on his delicate cheekbones. The way his lips were slightly parted as he slept and how his chest rose and fell as he breathed. He was just so. . . 

Yue heard a door below close. He walked out the door until he stood at the top of the stairs and looked down to see his master and his brother. 

"How is he doing?" Clow asked as he looked up to see Yue standing at the top of the stairs. 

"He is sleeping," Yue stated simply. Clow was used to Yue's simply answers that seemed to have no emotion behind them. Clow knew better than to expect anything else from his moon guardian, but he knew that behind that cold façade there was more. 

Clow walked up the stairs and followed Yue to the room that the man had been put in. Yue walked into the room and made room for his master. As Clow walked in he saw that Yue had taken care of the man's pack and cloak and had placed them on the chair in the room. He walked over to the bed and looked at the man's ankle. Clow pulled out his staff and a card and said a few words the card glowed and out flew a little girl with wings and a small wand. She flew over the man and light sparkled down to put the man into an even deeper sleep. 

When the small girl returned to her card state, there was a knock on the front door. Yue left his master with the man and went to see whom it was. Keroberus opened the door and the man followed him inside as he closed the door. The man carried a black bag and followed Keroberus as he led the way up the stairs. Yue recognized the man as the town doctor and allowed the two of them to pass by while he followed along. Clow greeted the doctor and showed him the man. Yue and Keroberus just waited outside in the hallway while the doctor took care of the man's wounds. 

Approximately thirty minutes later the doctor left the mansion and Yue and Keroberus looked into the room. Clow had just risen from the chair and the guardians could see that the man was covered with the blankets. 

Clow looked toward his guardians, "He will be just fine as long as he rests and stays off that ankle. Now let's let him rest," he said while shooing the two guardians down the hall. They glided down the stairs and towards the library. Yue assumed his normal position curled up on the bench in front of the window, picking up the book he was presently reading, while Keroberus lay stretched out in front of the fireplace. Clow walked in and coaxed the embers in the fireplace to life while putting in more kindling.   


* * *

  
A/N: O.K. this was my very first fic ever. I had to repost it because of the new guidelines on ff.net. It sucks that no more NC-17 fics will be allowed and anyone that complained should have just not clicked on anything that said NC-17 or lemon.  
Please Read + Review!!! Thank you! 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The sunlight poured through the window and the man in the bed began to stir to wakefulness. He groggily opened his eyes and quickly shut them as the bright light and warmth assaulted his senses. He felt a pain in his ankle as his body began to respond to his mind. Again, this time slowly, he opened his eyes. As they adjusted to the light, he looked around him. He was in a large bedroom with three doors in the walls. There was a chest of drawers along one wall and a chair next to it. One of the doors looked like it opened out upon a balcony. The second door was slightly ajar and he could tell it led to a bathroom. By elimination the third door must lead out into a hallway. The question was whom did this room belong to? 

After adjusting his leg, so as not to wrench his ankle, he sat up in the large bed. Throwing off the blankets, he noticed that his ankle had been bandaged and his bruises tended to. 

Just then there was a slight knock on the door. Not knowing what else to do he said, "Yes? Who is it?" 

The door opened slightly to reveal the same tall dark man he remembered from the night before. "Ah, you're awake. I suppose you are wondering exactly where you are and who I am?" the man said, as if reading his mind. 

"I was kind of curious." 

"My name is Clow Reed." The man's eyes widened slightly at this as he had heard of one of the most powerful sorcerers in the world. "I see my reputation precedes me." 

"I am in your house, Master Reed?" 

"Please, call me Clow. I do not believe I caught your name, though." 

"My name is Rakesh Kershanka, but most of my friends just call me K." 

Clow got a thoughtful look on his face as he said "Hmm . . . if I remember my Indian correctly, Rakesh means ruler of the moon. But, if I may say so, you don't appear to be from India." 

"I'm not. My parents traveled a lot. My father was killed before I was born and my mother died giving birth. An Indian family adopted me for a while and they gave me my name. I was then taken to my father's family and stayed with my aunt until she passed on." 

"Well, K, you are welcome to stay in my home until you are completely healed and able to travel again. I can sense that you have a good deal of magic in you." 

"My father was a magician and my mother's family had some magic as well. My Aunt was a great sorceress and taught me how to use my magic. If I may ask, how did I get here? What happened?" 

"My guardians and I were on our way home when we happened upon those three men and yourself. They felt of bad magic and you looked like you needed help so we took care of them. My guardian, Yue, flew you here and I called upon the doctor in the town to patch you up. Those men seemed to know you, what did they want?" 

"My magic, they work for an evil sorcerer that wants more power and will stop at nothing to get it. I must thank you and your guardians for saving my life and for your hospitality in allowing me to remain in your home." 

"Think nothing of it, I enjoy having the company of another sorcerer. Where are my manners, you must be hungry after your ordeal." 

"I could use a little something. I actually can't think of the last time I had a truly decent meal." 

"Well, we'll just have to remedy that. You have to stay off of that ankle for at least two more days, so I will have something brought to you." 

"I don't wish to be a nuisance. I'm sure I can move around with the help of my staff." Rakesh said as he started to get up. 

Clow just put his hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down. "No worries of making yourself a nuisance. My guardians and I will enjoy a respite from our everyday activities. And speaking of guardians, I wish to make you known to them." 

Clow rose from his chair and walked over to the door leading to the hallway. "You stay put and I will return shortly with some lunch." Clow said before he opened the door and slipped from the room. 

Rakesh simply stared after him and his thoughts wandered to his present predicament. What was he going to do if they came back for him? He only just escaped them this last time. If Clow hadn't stepped in he would've been . . .can't think of that now. They were getting better at their traps and he didn't think he was going to be able to avoid them forever. 

A few minutes later the door opened up and Clow once again entered the room. This time he was carrying a tray with what Rakesh assumed was his lunch. There was a bowl of some kind of soup, two goblets, and a bottle on the tray. 

"I hope you don't mind if I join you for a glass of wine while you eat." Clow said as he set the tray on Rakesh's lap and picked up a goblet and the bottle of wine. 

"Not at all. I would enjoy the company. I have not had many people to really talk to in quite a while." 

Rakesh lifted the spoon and sampled some of the delicious smelling soup. It had many vegetables and some meat chunks in it and looked absolutely mouth-watering to Rakesh. It took a very short amount of time for him to polish off the soup and he even amazed himself by how hungry he actually was. All this time Clow had just sat and watched him while sipping his goblet of wine. 

"You must have either been starving or my cooking is a lot better than I thought." 

"Hehe . . . I guess I didn't realize just how hungry I was. It's been longer than I thought since my last true meal." Rakesh said as he sampled the wine from his own goblet. 

Rakesh then caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye and turned his head to the door. Clow had left it ajar when he had entered and there now appeared to be a lion-like creature peaking around the corner. Clow saw this and turned to look himself. He then smiled and gestured for the creature to come forward. 

"K, this is my Guardian of the Sun, Keroberos. Keroberos, this is Rakesh." Clow introduced the two as Keroberos stepped into the room. 

"Hello Keroberos, it is a pleasure to meet you. I would like to thank you for helping me in the alley." Rakesh stated as he bowed his head slightly in respect of the guardian. 

"It was nothing. Those guys never stood a chance." Keroberos bragged as he puffed up his chest at the respect he was shown. "I could've taken them all on, all by myself." 

"You barely handled the one, Keroberos. You were just lucky he got knocked out as he hit the ground," Yue stated as he followed Keroberos into the room. 

Not wanting a fight to break out, Clow went immediately to introductions. "K, this is my Guardian of the Moon, Yue. Yue, this is Rakesh." 

"I would like to extend my thanks to you, Yue, for saving me." Rakesh said as he watched the moon guardian step into the room. 

"No thanks is needed," Yue said. He then picked up the tray with the empty bowl, goblet, and halfway empty bottle on it and said, "I will take this to the kitchen," and left the room. Keroberos simply rolled his eyes at the retreating form of his brother and turned back to Rakesh. 

Clow watched all of this with an amused smile on his face and then remembered something the doctor had said. "K, the doctor has asked that you take this medicine to help you heal better," Clow said as he reached for a bottle on the bedside table. He opened the bottle and dumped two little, white pills onto his hand. 

"Alright, although I hate taking drugs of any kind, I don't like to be muddle-headed." Rakesh said as he took the two pills and popped them into his mouth. He swallowed them quickly and settled back onto his pillows. 

"Can I come talk to you again tomorrow?" Keroberos asked in a wistful sort of voice. "The only other people I ever get to talk to are Clow and Yue, and Yue isn't much of a conversationalist." 

"What about me Keroberos?" Clow asked, looking as amused as before. 

"Oh, you're alright to talk to, I guess." 

At his response Clow put a little pout on his face. Once Keroberos saw this he quickly amended his response. "I mean I like talking to you, but after a while we just argue about the same old things and it might be nice to get someone else's opinion of things." 

Clow smiled a little at how easy it was to tease Keroberos sometimes, and stepped towards the door. "We should let K get some rest now Keroberos. He needs to rest to heal." 

Before Keroberos stepped out the door, Rakesh said, "I would very much enjoy your company tomorrow Keroberos. You may come again." 

With this Keroberos left and Clow shut the door behind him. Rakesh settled into the bed and the drugs quickly took effect as he fell asleep within only moments. 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_It was raining heavily as I looked out into the field. I didn't know where I was but I was not alone. In front of me was a shadow. I can't make out his face but I can feel an evil aura coming from his direction. I hear someone near me shout something to the shadow, but I don't know what is said. I can't seem to be able to see the other person. Suddenly the shadow fires something in my direction. I don't know how I know what to do, but I chant an incantation of my own and fire something in the shadows direction. When the two spells hit each other there is an earth-shattering explosion. We are all thrown from the area and the shadow lands on something that pierces his chest. With his last breath he says something but I can't make out the words. Suddenly I am in pain. I can barely stand it. The other person comes to my side, but I still can't make him out. He speaks to me. It's soothing, even though I don't know what is said. I say something to the other person as the pain becomes too much and blackness overcomes me. _   


**********

  


Rakesh awoke and sat up abruptly. That was a mistake. Moving so fast caused him to jerk his bandaged ankle and his bruised ribs and he cried out, not just from his injuries but also from the pain that he still felt from the dream. He was covered in a cold sweat and the blankets were half off the bed. He lowered himself gently back onto his pillows and attempted to calm his rapid beating heart. That dream had been far too real for his tastes. 

The pain from the dream was subsiding and he couldn't feel it anymore. His ankle had stopped throbbing now that he had kept it still and he was attempting to put the blankets back in order when there was a tentative knock at his door and it opened slightly to reveal a beautiful sight.   


**********

  


Yue lay awake hours after going to bed. He couldn't get his mind to stop long enough to get to sleep. The subject of his thoughts: Rakesh. 

He didn't quite understand why he couldn't stop thinking about the man. It was just another man. He had met numerous other men when traveling with Clow, why was this man so special. There was just something about him that Yue couldn't put into words. 

Yue looked out through the balcony doors to the moon that gave him his name. It was only in the first quarter phase and that meant that Yue was only at about half of his full power. 

Just as Yue closed his eyes and attempted to salvage what was left of the night to sleep, he heard someone close by call out. His room happened to be right next to Rakesh's while Clow's and Keroberos's rooms were across the hall. 

Yue arose and pulled his white robe with blue moons and stars on and stepped into the hall. As he came before Rakesh's door he didn't hear anything else. He tentatively rapped upon the door and without waiting for an answer, carefully opened the door.   


**********

  


Rakesh watched as Yue opened the door and looked straight into his eyes. He couldn't believe the beauty of Yue. His long silver hair, his cat-like violet eyes, and his pale complexion made him look mysterious and made Rakesh want to solve such a mystery. 

When their eyes met Yue's breath caught in his throat and he couldn't seem to think of why he had come here. 

Rakesh, seemingly sensing his hesitation, said, "I'm sorry Yue. Did I wake you?" 

Yue, finding himself once again able to breath, replied, "No, I wasn't asleep. I heard you call out. Are you alright?" 

"I think so. I just had a bad dream. I'm sorry to have gotten you up for nothing, Yue." 

"It's alright. As I said, I wasn't asleep anyway." 

Rakesh attempted to shift the blankets but he couldn't quite manage without moving his ankle and jarring his sore ribs. After two failed attempts he saw a hand reach down and grasp the blankets. Looking up he saw that Yue had entered the room and was attempting to help him. Their hands met several times during the straightening and each time either Yue or Rakesh would pull away abruptly. Neither one noticed the others reaction but Rakesh sensed something familiar about Yue being so close. 

After straightening the bed and lying back down, Rakesh was finally settled and calmed enough to resume sleeping. Yue started to leave when he turned back and said, "Will you be alright now?" 

"Yes, and thank you for your concern Yue." Rakesh replied as he watched Yue walk out and close the door carefully. 

Yue closed the door and stood there for a moment to collect his thoughts. Just like yesterday, if he had stayed a moment later he would have surely blushed. Yue wasn't the kind to show his emotions without proper cause, but somehow being around Rakesh gave him a funny feeling he didn't know how to deal with. 

Yue walked to his room and removed his robe. He lie back down and fell asleep amazingly quickly given everything that had just happened. 

Meanwhile, Rakesh resumed his night of sleep and dreamt only of a certain, beautiful angel. 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Yue awoke to the Sun's rays filtering in through the curtains over the windows of his room. Once he had fallen asleep that morning, Yue had slept dreamlessly and he now felt quite rested, considering he only slept for a mere four hours. 

Yue rose and stretched his wings, taking up most of the room. He adored his wings and went to great pains to make sure they stayed snowy white. The only person he even allowed near his wings to help him keep them clean was Clow and only if he couldn't reach those feathers himself. 

Yue dressed in the robes he normally wore. They were white with yellow trim down the front and blue trim on the neck and arms. His leggings were white and went down to have blue trim wrap around his feet. He wore a blue jewel around his neck that came to rest just below his neck. Before leaving, Yue picked up his earpiece that Clow had given him and that contained his false form and placed it on his left ear. Yue only used his false form when he traveled with Clow to anywhere beyond the immediate village. All of the villagers here new of Clow and his guardians and were quite used to them all. 

Yue walked into the hallway and sensed that everyone else was still asleep. Since he knew that they would probably be up within the hour, Yue decided to put his cooking skills to the test. Clow had been teaching Yue to cook so that he could cook for Keroberos when he was away on business. Yue didn't eat much; in fact he hardly ever ate. Keroberos on the other hand was constantly eating, mainly sweets, but Clow made sure he ate other things and not just sugar. 

Yue walked into the kitchen and prepared for breakfast. He made sure to make extra to feed their guest. Thinking of this brought Yue's thoughts, once again, to Rakesh. 

Yue was so caught up in his thoughts that he almost ruined breakfast on numerous occasions. He also didn't notice a shadow that appeared in the doorway of the kitchen watching him. Yue was so focused on his thoughts at one point that he didn't notice how done the eggs were getting. 

"You know, I like my eggs well done, not blackened." Clow said as he chuckled slightly. 

Yue looked over at Clow and then down at the pan with the eggs in it and silently cursed himself. He grabbed the pan and took it over to the sink to be rinsed out. 

As he was scrubbing the pan, Clow walked over and began cooking the rest of breakfast. Clow knew where Yue's thoughts had been when he had interrupted them, but he also knew that Yue wouldn't talk about it. Yue refused to discuss his emotions and how he felt about things unless they were discussing philosophy or some book that Yue had read. 

Clow set up a separate tray for K and readied the rest to be taken to the dining room for Keroberos and Clow to eat their own breakfast. Clow had an idea though. He had recently had a vision of Yue being happy and actually smiling more often than naught. Clow wanted this vision to be true and knew that K was the answer to that vision coming true. "Yue, would you take this tray up to our guest and see that he is comfortable enough." 

"Of course Clow," Yue said as he picked up the tray and made his way back upstairs. He set the tray down on the floor while he knocked tentatively, unsure if Rakesh was awake yet or not. When he heard a muffled 'come in' he opened the door partway and reached down to pick the tray back up. 

"Good morning Yue. Did you sleep well?" Rakesh asked, wanting very much to get to know Yue and be his friend. 

"I slept fine, thank you. How was your sleep?" Yue said as Rakesh sat up, ever wary of his aches, and settled himself. 

"I slept peacefully after you left, thank you." Rakesh said, and then he felt something stirring and realized that he had to get up and for that he would need help. "Um . . . Yue, could I ask you a little favor?" 

"What is it?" Yue was curious as to why Rakesh would have a slight blush on his cheeks and what he could possible want from him. 

"I have to . . .um . . .go to the bathroom . . .and I can't get up myself . . ." Rakesh's voice trailed off as comprehension dawned upon Yue's face. Yue would have blushed slightly, but he wasn't the blushing kind. 

"I will help you up." Yue said as Rakesh pushed the blankets back and moved his bandaged ankle off of the bed. Yue sat beside him and put his arm around Rakesh's middle. Rakesh pushed up from the bed and balanced himself on his good leg. Being careful not to put too much weight on his bad ankle and with Yue holding the rest of his weight, he limped over to the bathroom and over to the toilet. Yue left him there leaning on the counter next to the toilet and let him do his business. When he said he was done, Yue helped him limp back to the bed and carefully set him back down. 

"Thank you very much Yue," Rakesh said as he winced. By now his ankle had taken to throbbing again and he tried to keep it as still as possible as he ate his breakfast. When he finished his meal, Yue removed the tray and made his way back to the kitchen to begin washing the dishes. When he entered the kitchen, he noticed that Clow was already washing and he set the tray on the counter next to the sink. 

Clow noticed Yue and asked, "How is our guest doing?" 

"He is doing well." And with that Yue left the kitchen to resume his thinking. Meanwhile, Keroberos had made his way upstairs and over to Rakesh's door. He pushed to door open a crack and peeked in to make sure it was all right to enter. He saw Rakesh nod him in and he pushed the door open the rest of the way. 

"Well good morning Keroberos. I hope you slept well." 

"I slept great." Keroberos said as he meandered to the other side of the bed and gently hopped up onto the bed being careful not to shake it too much. "How did you sleep?" 

"I had a bad dream, but after that I slept fine." 

"Really, what was the dream about," Clow asked as he walked through the door left open by Keroberos. 

"It was nothing, really, just a nightmare." 

"Nightmares are usually a key to unlocking a fear hidden deep in your subconscious." 

"Well . . .alright." He said, and began telling the things he remembered from the dream. "I was in a field and it was raining. There was a man, standing before me some distance away. There is also someone standing near me to the right. Then the man in front of me fires something at me and I fire back at him and it knocks us both off of our feet. He lands on something and it goes through his chest, but before he dies he says something that I can't hear, and then I'm in pain. The person that was on my right comes over to me and he tells me something. It soothes me, but the pain is too much and I black out. Then I woke up." As Rakesh finished his telling he noticed that Clow had a serious look on his face as if he knew something, then his face changed and he smiled slightly. 

"That was some dream, but it might have been a vision." 

"Nah, I've never had visions before. My Aunt used to have them occasionally. She even saw her own death, but I've never even had a glimpse of a vision." Rakesh dismissed the thought. 

"Maybe . . ." Clow trailed off, and seeing this as an opening, Keroberos began to ask Rakesh questions and tell him stories. Clow knew that this dream was something to be cautious of. He didn't know when or where it would happen, but he was pretty sure this nightmare would probably come true. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The next morning, being careful about his sore ribs and ankle, Rakesh put on his robe and extended his staff. The staff was long, seven feet tall, and was black and gold. There was a gold point at the top and below that a gold circle. Within the circle were two gold bars, one vertical and one horizontal, crossing in the center. The design was the symbol of the earth. Below that was a wrapping of gold around the black, about eight inches in length. The same earth symbol was on the other end of the staff, only much smaller, and below that was another gold point. 

As soon as his staff had finished growing, Yue knocked carefully and walked in. Seeing that Rakesh was ready to head down, Yue helped him to his feet. The doctor had said that Rakesh could leave the bed today, but not to do too much. He leaned on his staff and limped out the door with Yue close behind. When Rakesh got to the end of the hall he looked down the stairs to see Clow, his own staff in hand, at the foot of the stairs with Keroberus standing next to him. 

"If you don't mind, the doctor did say not to put too much pressure on that ankle at first, and stairs are quite a hassle. Since you are still somewhat weak magically, I wish to lend my support." Clow said as his emblem appeared below him and he said a few words while raising his staff. 

Rakesh saw a bubble suddenly form around him. He knew he could trust Clow and he had always wanted to see a mysterious and powerful Clow Card at work. He suddenly felt lighter and to his surprise began floating down the stairs. 

When he reached the bottom, the bubble disappeared and he had to, once again, lean on his staff. Yue flew down the stairs and landed right next to him. 

"Good morning K, Yue," Clow greeted. They each returned the greeting and followed Clow and Keroberus into the dining room where breakfast was to be served. 

Clow sat at the head of the table and Keroberus sat to his right on a large stool to accommodate his bulk. Seeing that Yue wasn't sitting, Rakesh took the seat to Clow's left and sat down, leaning his staff against the table to his left. 

Yue came out with plates of food and set the largest plate before Keroberus and the two smaller plates in front of Clow and Rakesh. Yue then pulled out the chair about three feet away from Rakesh and sat down, waiting for everyone to finish. 

"Don't you eat Yue?" Rakesh asked, curious as to why the guardian didn't eat breakfast with them. 

"I do not require food to survive," was Yue's only response. 

"We have tried for years to get him to eat, but he just refuses." Clow said looking at Yue. Turning to Keroberus, he said, "unlike Keroberus here, who will eat just about anything we set in front of him. Especially if there is sugar in it." 

Keroberus just looked up at the smiling face of his master and stuck his tongue out. He then turned back to his food and continued eating. 

Clow and Rakesh just chuckled and resumed eating their own breakfasts. 

When they had, for the most part, finished breakfast, Yue and Clow began clearing the dishes away and taking them into the kitchen. While gone, Keroberus and Rakesh had some polite conversation. When they returned Clow said, "Why don't we go to the study? There is something I wish to speak with you about." 

Grabbing his staff, Rakesh rose unsteadily, and followed Clow to his study. Upon arrival, Rakesh noticed that the room was wall-to-wall bookshelves. All of the books looked quite old and he could sense that some of them still had a magical feel to them. On one wall was a fireplace that came to life almost as soon as Clow entered the room. To one side was as old, wooden desk piled high with more books and papers. In the middle of the room sat a short, long table surrounded by a couch on one side and two chairs on the other. 

Clow took a seat in one of the chairs and motioned for Rakesh to sit on the couch. Rakesh gladly took a seat and, thinking he might be staying on this couch for a while, made his staff shrink and placed the necklace around his neck. Keroberus flopped down in front of the fire and sighed contentedly, while Yue just stood beside the couch, not daring to sit so close to Rakesh. 

Smiling at seeing their guest comfortable enough in their presence to use magic, Clow knew what he was about to do would surely make his Moon guardian quite uncomfortable. He had already spoken with Keroberus about it and he had readily agreed, but Clow had kept the details a secret, not wanting to give Keroberus a chance to tease his brother. 

"Yue," Clow spoke and watched as Yue's gaze settled on him, "Keroberus and I are going to visit some friends over in the next town and will probably be gone until tomorrow. I want you to watch over and take care of our guest, won't you?" 

He watched as Yue's eyes showed a bit of surprise and then he said, "of course Clow," and bowed slightly in his master's direction. "When are you leaving? When will you be back?" 

"We leave in about an hour. We might be back tonight, but I think we might stay until tomorrow." Clow said, his smile hiding a mischievous grin.   


**********

  


That night, Yue and Rakesh were sitting in the study. Rakesh was still seated on the couch, but he had his legs swung up to the other end of the couch. There was a large book sitting on his lap. Yue was sitting in the window seat, reading a book himself. Though if anyone were to look closely, they could see that he hadn't turned the page in quite a while. His eyes kept glancing over to where Rakesh was, and he couldn't help a small smile come across his features as Rakesh smiled at something he was reading. 

Rakesh suddenly let out a yawn, his eyes drooping slightly, as he remarked, "it's getting late." 

Yue looked up from his book and said, "Do you wish to go to your room now?" 

"If you don't mind. I wouldn't want to interrupt your reading." 

"It's alright." Yue said as he got up from his seat and walked over to Rakesh. 

Rakesh pushed his legs around and placed his feet on the floor. He rose and, with Yue's help, made his way out of the study and to the bottom of the stairs. Yue couldn't think of any other way, so he suddenly swung Rakesh's legs out from under him, causing Rakesh to gasp suddenly, and flew up the stairs. 

At the top, Yue set Rakesh on his feet. After a moment, Yue noticed that Rakesh had not removed his hands from where they had migrated to around Yue's neck on the flight up. 

Yue looked down into his eyes and what he saw there almost made him smile. He was a little apprehensive, and not quite sure if he could, but he took a chance. 

At the same moment, Rakesh was thinking 'I hope I read him right, if not, I don't know what will happen'. 

The next moment, Rakesh leaned forward and his lips met Yue's. Noticing that Yue was not pulling away, Rakesh ventured to run his tongue along Yue's bottom lip, eliciting a gasp from the angelic being. Using this as his opening, Rakesh slipped his tongue into Yue's warmth, thinking of how sweet tasting this angel of his was. 

Yue's arms snaked their way around Rakesh's waist as he drew the man closer to his body. His tongue danced along with Rakesh's. He couldn't help but think that Rakesh tasted of the sweet morning dew. 

A few minutes later, lack of oxygen forced the kiss to come to an end. Without a word, Yue helped Rakesh walk the rest of the way to his room and sat down on the bed. Yue got up and left the room. Right before the door closed, Yue whispered, "Goodnight". 

"Goodnight, my Moon Angel." Rakesh whispered, once the door had closed. Removing his robes he lay back and pulled the blankets around him. It was quite a while before either of them took the journey into sleep. 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Around noon, Rakesh finally awoke and dressed. He had thought long into the night about Yue. He soon found that his ankle didn't bother him nearly as much and his ribs were almost as good as new. He also discovered that most of his magical energies were returned to him. Calling his staff out, he rose from bed and made his way to the bathroom before heading out and to the top of the stairs. He stood there for a moment, contemplating if he could make it to the bottom without falling, when a voice called from behind, "do you need some help?" 

Turning to the side, Rakesh saw his angel looking at him and said, "If you don't mind, I'm not quite sure if I could make it down yet." 

Smiling slightly, Yue walked up and, once again, swept Rakesh's feet out from under him. On the short flight down, Rakesh took the opportunity to peck Yue on the cheek. That slight gesture made the ever stoic Moon Guardian blush for only a moment that had Rakesh blinked, he would have missed it. 

Yue landed at the bottom of the stairs and set Rakesh gently down. He did not wish to let go just yet and kept his arms around Rakesh's shoulders. Rakesh moved his arms around Yue's waist and, wanting to once again taste that sweetness, moved ever closer to his two beautiful lips and that tantalizing warmth. 

They both heard the soft creek as the front door was being pushed open. Reluctantly, they separated and Yue took a step back, just as Keroberus bounded in and announced his presence by saying, in his loud and booming voice, "ah, home sweet home. When's lunch?" 

Clow walked in, chuckling at Keroberus' exuberance, and noticed Yue and Rakesh standing in the hall. "Good day to you Yue and to you K. How are you feeling this fine afternoon K?" 

"My ankle is still a little sore, but my ribs are nearly as good as new." Rakesh replied, smiling at Clow's good humor. "I am a little hungry though. I didn't get to sleep until late and I only just woke up," Rakesh remarked as he stole a glance at Yue. 

Clow noticed the glance and fought himself to not show the knowing smirk that threatened to cross his features. Keroberus, as always clueless about anything but food, suddenly brightened at the prospect of lunch. "Well then let us go get something to eat. Come on Clow. We had breakfast almost two hours ago." Keroberus said as he motioned for Clow to precede him into the kitchen. 

"All right Keroberus," Clow laughed, as he began walking towards the kitchen, Keroberus following close behind, and Rakesh and Yue walking more sedately behind. 

After lunch, Keroberus practically dragged Rakesh out of the dining room and into the study. Keroberus hated to do chores and appointed himself Rakesh's company for the day to get out of helping with the dishes. 

As Yue and Clow were picking up dishes and glasses, Clow suddenly asked him, "What are your feelings towards Rakesh?" 

Yue looked up sharply, momentarily afraid that he had somehow angered his master, into the face of a smiling Clow. He was a little shocked, but when he thought about it, Clow knew just about everything that went on with his guardians. 

"Rakesh is a good man and if he makes you happy then I am happy for you." Clow said, and saw Yue smile ever so slightly. "So tell me, what are your feelings towards him?" 

Yue thought for a moment. He wasn't quite sure of his feelings. He had never felt anything like this. He felt something similar to Clow, but his feelings for Rakesh were different. So he said, "I am not sure, but I . . ." He trailed off, unsure of how to put his feelings into words. 

Clow seemed to understand his predicament and said, "I understand, Yue. You care for him but are still unsure. I am sure he cares for you just as much." 

When they were finished with the dishes, they made their way to the study. Upon entering the study, they could see and hear Keroberus laughing at something Rakesh had probably said, for Rakesh was smiling at the Sun Guardian. Looking up, Rakesh, seated on the couch, turned his smile to Clow and Yue as they walked into the room. Keroberus was still smiling as Clow seated himself in a chair and Yue remained standing next to the other chair. 

Clow faced Rakesh and remarked, "I can sense that your magic is growing stronger." 

"Yes, I am happy to say that I am almost back my normal, magical self." Rakesh remarked happily. 

"Since you are feeling so much better, I thought, if your ankle is up for it, you would like to accompany us into town tomorrow. I must run a few errands and it would give you a chance to get out of this stuffy, old house." 

"I am pretty sure my ankle can handle it as long as I use my staff as a walking stick." 

"I am glad to hear it." Clow said and along with Keroberus, and the occasional remark from Yue, they talked well into the night about many different things. 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The next day, after awakening and dressing, Rakesh made his way out of his room. As like before, Yue was there to carry him down, and give quite a passionate kiss at the bottom of the stairs before Keroberus or Clow came down. 

After breakfast and dishes, the carriage to carry the four to town came. Clow and Keroberus sat on one side of the carriage and Rakesh and Yue sat on the other. The carriage wasn't small, but Yue and Rakesh sat close to one another with very little room between them. 

When the quartet arrived in town and stepped from the carriage they began their journey through different stores and were greeted by many people that knew Clow. They did not, however, notice the shadows that were watching them.   


**********

  


"There he is," the smaller shadow said to the two bigger shadows behind him. "We can't attack him here. Too many people are around. We'll wait until they split up and then grab him. He's still hurt so he won't run far." The shadows continued to follow the group of four throughout the town.   


**********

"Well, there are still a few errands I must run on the other side of town. Why don't you stay here K and rest while Keroberus and I run these errands. Yue, you stay with K." They all agreed and Rakesh sat down on a bench back from the hustle and bustle of the town with Yue next to him. Yue had hidden his wings so that no one accidentally knocked into them, so all he had to do was move his hair before sitting down.   


**********

  


The shadows watched the two and the smallest one gestured for one of the larger shadows to go around to the right while the other went around to the left to surround the bench.   


**********

  


It was getting late and the town was getting bare. People were at or on their way home for dinner. Yue and Rakesh still sat there talking and didn't notice the shadows coming closer. Suddenly there was a blast and both Rakesh and Yue were thrown some feet away. The shadows grabbed Rakesh before he could do anything. He franticly thrashed, trying to loosen the grip on his arms enough to break free and also to look around to see if Yue was all right. The big oafs grip never loosened but he could hear a struggle nearby. He was turned to the noise and saw Yue and two other shadows struggling. 

Yue got far enough away for him to rematerialize his wings. He turned toward the larger man and fired his ice shards causing the man to cry out in pain. Yue hovered and drew his bow. He aimed it at the man holding Rakesh and, using his precise shot, fired. The arrow hit the man in the shoulder and caused him to loose his grip on Rakesh. 

Rakesh stumbled forward and fell, grabbing his staff that he had dropped he called upon his magic. He pointed his staff at the three men who were regrouping, ready to attack him again, and called on the earth to give him strength. Chanting a spell, lightning suddenly shot out at the three men and they screamed out in pain. 

Rakesh stopped the lightning, "tell your boss that if he wants me, he can come and get me himself." He spoke to the men and chanted another spell. The wind rose up and the three men were thrown against a nearby brick building, knocking them all unconscious. 

Yue flew down next to Rakesh and asked, "Are you all right?" 

"I'll be fine, but I think they will wake up with quite a headache." 

Clow and Keroberus returned at that moment and, noticing the three unconscious bodies, said, "You seemed to have had some excitement today." 

"Those are the men that were after me the night you found me. It seems that I am still a wanted man." 

"Yes, you'll have to be more careful about where you go if someone wants you this much. Why is it so important that he have your magic when, no offense, there are magicians with much more magic than you possess in this world." 

"He is holding a grudge. I cost him a lot of magic and he wants revenge. So in order to get that revenge he wants to capture me alive and drain my magic. Then he will kill me." Rakesh said with a somewhat down expression. 

"Well, let's get back home and rest. By the way, I saw that wonderful display of magic. You are very talented." 

"Thank you," Rakesh blushed a little at the compliment as the four made their way back to the carriage. 

When they arrived at the house, Rakesh said, "I think I will head straight for bed. I am a little tired after such a busy day." 

"Well goodnight K. Sleep well." Clow said while he walked to the study with Keroberus behind him. 

"Goodnight Clow, Keroberus." Rakesh said as he started up the stairs. His ankle was a little sore after all of the walking, but he still made it a quarter of the way up the stairs before he felt arms around him lifting him up. 

Yue flew him up to the top of the stairs and still would not put him down. Rakesh put his arms around Yue's neck and allowed the angel to carry him to his room. When Yue set Rakesh down he wouldn't let go of Yue's neck and drew him down into a long, passionate kiss. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Because of the new restrictions, the following chapter has been deleted. **

You can read it at my web site: www.angelfire.com/anime4/jaderaven21/ROM8.html 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

_It was raining heavily as I looked out into the field. I remember this dream but this time I can see a little better. In front of me, there is a man. His face is covered in shadow but I can make out certain details. His eyes are piercing black and glare at me as if looking straight into my soul. I feel a chill up my spine at his look. Over to my side I hear someone shout something to the shadow. I can see it is Yue but what is he doing here. I look back at the evil man and he something shoots from his hands straight for me. I don't know why, but I can't keep myself from chanting an incantation of my own and something fires from my hands as well. We are all thrown from the area and the evil man lands on something that pierces his chest. I can see Yue get up and start to come over to me to see if I'm all right. With his last breath the shadow man says something. I feel pain and anguish shoot through my body. Yue runs over to me and holds me in his arms. There are tears in his eyes and he speaks to me. It's soothing to hear his voice. I can also hear Clow say something. I don't know when he got here. The pain becomes too much and blackness consumes me._   


**********

  


Rakesh gasped and opened his eyes. His breathing had become labored and he couldn't move his limbs. He found himself in Yue's arms. Yue had a slight smile on his lips and Rakesh smiled in remembrance of their night of passion. He sighed as the dream came back to him and he knew something was wrong. Maybe Clow had been right when he said that the dream was a vision. If it was a vision then Rakesh knew he was seeing his own death. He didn't want to leave Yue but he didn't know if he could change his destiny. 

Yue rolled over, releasing his hold on Rakesh. Rakesh rose slowly, so as not to awaken Yue, and slipped out of the bed. He put on an emerald green robe that he had gotten on the outing yesterday and went to look out at the night sky through his balcony doors. 

The moon was in its last quarter phase and he knew that soon Yue would be at his weakest. Rakesh turned and looked at his moon angel. His beautifully pale complexion and his lovely silver hair made him look delicate and frail but one look at Yue's cat-like violet eyes told the watcher that he was a force to be reckoned with. 

The lack of warmth at his side caused Yue to stir slightly and his eyes fluttered open to see Rakesh looking back at him. "Is something wrong?" Yue asked in an anxious voice. 

Rakesh smiled to reassure his lover and said, "Nothing is wrong. I was just admiring the beautiful angel that seems to have made his way into my heart." 

Yue blushed and Rakesh made his way over to stand beside the bed, his eyes never leaving his loves. He removed his robe and slipped back under the covers. As his body came in contact with his angel's, Yue remarked, "it's chilly out there. Let me warm you up." 

Rakesh smiled slyly, the vision momentarily forgotten, and allowed Yue to warm him up. It was quite a while before either fell back to sleep.   


**********

  


The next morning, Keroberus went downstairs, following the delicious smells of breakfast. He noticed that it was only himself and Clow at the breakfast table that morning and he wondered where K and Yue were. Yue was usually the first one up. 

After breakfast, Keroberus' curiosity was growing and he entered the hall, on his way upstairs, to see if they were up yet. As he placed his paw on the first step, Clow came out and asked, "Where are you off to Keroberus?" 

Keroberus turned and said, "I was wondering why Yue isn't up yet and where K is." 

"Don't worry Keroberus, they are sleeping in this morning." 

"That isn't like Yue. He never sleeps past sunrise normally." 

"He and Rakesh were up late last night. I don't think they want to be disturbed." Clow said to a confused looking Keroberus. He smirked and walked toward his study. 

Keroberus stood in the hall trying to sort through what Clow had just said. It took him a few minutes, when finally a look of dawning appeared on his face and he followed Clow into the study. "You mean K and Yue are . . ." 

Clow looked up from his desk, littered with papers, and smiled at his sun guardian. "They are happy and that's all that matters. Yue needs this as much as I believe Rakesh does." 

"Well as long as he doesn't hurt my brother, I like him. They will be fine together."   


**********

  


Rakesh awoke sometime later to see that he was being watched. He looked into the lovely eyes of his companion and smiled. Yue smiled back and leaned forward to kiss his love. Rakesh tilted his head to the side to fully partake of the kiss. When Yue finally pulled away he put his head on Rakesh's shoulder, facing his neck and whispered, "I love you." 

Rakesh barely heard him but he smiled widely and said, "I love you too my Moon Angel," as he pulled Yue's head up to face him once again and bring him into a passionate kiss. 

This time when they pulled away they both heard the unmistakable rumble of Rakesh's hungry stomach. They both chuckled lightly and pulled away from each other. They rose and dressed, not without a few more kisses in between, and made their way out the door. 

Rakesh's ankle was not bothering him at all anymore and neither were his bruised ribs. He could have walked down the stairs with no problem but Yue carried him down anyway, not that he complained or anything. At the bottom of the stairs they exchanged one final kiss before they heard voices behind the door leading to the dining room. Noticing where the sun was told the two lovers that it was near noon and lunchtime. 

Yue opened the door and the two of them walked into the dining room. Clow looked up and smiled at the two, while Keroberus looked at Yue and said, in a teasing voice, "have fun?" 

Yue glared at his brother while he took his usual seat. Rakesh simply smiled and sat down, noticing that his place was already set and before him was his lunch. 

After lunch and dished the four made their way to the study and spent the evening in polite discussion and quiet reading time. The next day they had planned to go on a picnic and so went to bed early to make sure they arose early enough to go on a little walk. Yue slept in Rakesh's bed, in his arms, and together they slept peacefully through the night. 


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The following morning was the usual routine. Yue and Rakesh awoke almost simultaneously. The sun was just rising over the horizon and both Clow and Keroberus arose and began preparing for the picnic. It took almost another half hour for the two lovebirds to finally make their way downstairs, but when they did, breakfast was just being served. 

After breakfast and dishes, the group gathered in the front hall and gathered everything they were taking for the picnic. Keroberus kept trying to sneak a paw into the basket that Yue carried, to get a sweet out, but Yue knew his brother too well and hit his paw lightly, causing Keroberus to look at him with those big, sad eyes. Yue was immune to his looks and simply ignored him. Clow came out with a large blanket and the four set out on their journey. 

Keroberus flew ahead to find a place to set up. It was a beautiful fall day, not too warm, but without the chill of the winter that was sure to come. The sky was relatively clear and it looked to be a wonderful day for an outing. Looking down, Keroberus found a small clearing surrounded by trees with the colorful leaves of fall. He quickly flew back to the group and told them of his discovery. He was getting quite anxious as it was nearing noon and lunch was just around the corner. 

After following Keroberus for a few minutes they finally emerged in a small clearing. At this point Clow said, "This is perfect Keroberus. K, could you help me with this blanket?" 

"Certainly," Rakesh said and moved to grab the other side of the blanket and spread it out. Keroberus was jumping up and down behind Yue, pushing him onto the blanket in his fervor to begin lunch. 

"Keroberus, calm down or I won't give you your lunch until last." Yue scolded the over-exuberant sun guardian. Keroberus pouted and sat down quietly on the edge of the blanket. Clow and Rakesh both chuckled lightly and lowered themselves down onto the blanket as well. Yue kneeled down and placed the basket in the middle of the blanket. He then proceeded to pass out lunch, making sure to give Keroberus his sweets first. 

After lunch, Clow leaned against a nearby tree and watched as Keroberus tried to tackle Rakesh. Rakesh was quite fast and gave Keroberus quite a run-around through the trees. Suddenly Rakesh seemed to disappear behind a tree. Keroberus couldn't find him anywhere and when he went back to the clearing he saw Clow and asked, "have you seen K anywhere?" 

"Have you looked everywhere?" Clow asked the bewildered Keroberus. "I don't think you've looked hard enough. He's closer than you think." Clow smiled when Keroberus looked at him oddly. 

"He's right you know." Keroberus heard Rakesh's voice and quickly looked around. Then, thinking it a bit weird, he looked up and gasped at the sight above him. There was Rakesh, with wings. He landed next to Keroberus and Yue walked over to stand before him. 

Keroberus and Yue stared at the man before them. Then, brought out of his stupor, Keroberus asked, "how?" 

"I am a magician, Keroberus." Rakesh laughed lightly at the startled looks he was receiving. "Why don't we fly for a bit before we head back?" He asked the two guardians who nodded in acceptance. "Care to join us Clow?" 

"No thank you. I think I will stay here and soak up the rays of the afternoon sun." 

With that the three winged beings took off and chased each other through the forest. They weaved through the trees and flew high then plummeted down and pulled up just before they hit the ground. Yue hadn't had this much fun in quite a while. 

After about an hour, Rakesh noticed that the sky had become quite dark all of a sudden. He gestured to the two guardians and they flew over to him. "It looks like a storm is coming. We'd better head back." 

Suddenly, as they were flying over an open field, a stray bolt of lightning struck the ground right near where Rakesh was flying. The static in the air caused him to lose altitude and begin his rapid decent towards the ground. He fanned his wings out just in time to slow himself down. He hit the ground with a soft thud just as the sky seemed to open up and rain started to pour down. His wings disappeared as he stood up and glanced around at his surroundings. He was in an open field and as he looked up he saw Yue descending. 

"Are you alright? I sent Keroberus to get Clow." Yue said as he landed with a worried expression crossing his face. 

"Yes, I'm fine." Rakesh said as he suddenly remembered that this scene looked oddly familiar. 

Just as comprehension was dawning on Rakesh's face he suddenly felt an evil, yet familiar, aura nearby. He turned suddenly to look out upon the field and saw a shadow suddenly appear. Lightning struck just then and lit up the field to show that the man before them had black eyes that could pierce the soul, just like the vision. 

The man spoke then, "well Rakesh, it seems that I have finally found you. Don't worry, the pain won't last that long." The evil man then let out a menacing cackle as the storm raged on and the rain beat down on the three being standing in the middle of the barren field. 


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

A man stood in the middle of a field, evil laughter rising into the raging storm. Rakesh readied his staff while Yue powered his bow, aimed straight for the man's blackened heart. He had sent Keroberus off to collect Clow the moment Rakesh had fallen from the sky. 

The cackling died down as the man began to speak. "If you are expecting help from those other two, my minions are having a little fun with them. Don't think you will escape me again Rakesh." The man sneered while glancing balefully at Yue. 

"You will never take me alive Soren. You are a sick and twisted man and I won't be the catalyst for your evil plans." Rakesh scowled out while thinking of just how he would initiate a spell before Soren discovered he had done so. 

Yue was torn between going to protect his master and staying to safeguard his lover. He hadn't yet felt the familiar pull that accompanied his master being in trouble and he knew that Keroberus and Clow would probably be able to protect themselves from those sent to harm them. He would stay by his lover's side and protect him at all costs until such time as his master needed him. 

Soren raised his own black staff. It was hard to make out through the rain but he was chanting some sort of incantation. He wanted to distract Rakesh enough so he could get close enough to steal enough of his magic to give him access through his defenses. Soren didn't want Rakesh dead, he wanted to take over his mind and make him the perfect slave. 

Rakesh, feeling the magical energies being gathered around Soren, began his own incantation to try to counteract whatever was going to be thrown at him. He knew that his vision was coming true at this moment. For some strange reasons that not even he knew, he felt he was ready to die. He didn't want to leave Yue but he had the feeling that nothing he did would prevent his coming death and he was more than willing to accept it. He also knew that Soren would be killed at the same moment and he smiled slightly at the realization that he would be saving the lives of many by killing the destroyer of many lives. 

Yue looked over at Rakesh to see him smiling slightly. This confused Yue for the moment but he dismissed it as the evil man that Rakesh had called Soren released his attack. 

A large ball of darkness was thrown from Soren's staff a moment before Rakesh leapt into the air. The wings he had lost earlier reformed on his back and the ball of darkness flew towards the spot he where he had been standing but seconds ago. Yue flew away just as the energy hit the ground, forming a crater at least five feet in length. Meanwhile, Rakesh let loose his own attack, aimed right at Soren, and a great ball of light flew towards the evil man. 

Soren just stood there and as the light ball came within two feet of him, it hit some kind of barrier and dissipated. Soren laughed at the feeble attempt to harm him and looked around for his next target. Yue fired his arrows as fast as he could make them but nothing could get through the shield he had erected around himself. 

Soren began rapid firing small sparks of energy, similar to the Shot Card, at Rakesh's flying form. One of the shots hit Rakesh right hand, causing him to loose his grip on his staff. Seeing this, Soren aimed his dark staff at the earth staff and fired an even larger bolt of dark energy. The magic hit the staff and caused it to spear itself into a nearby tree. 

Rakesh was trying to dive down to catch his fallen staff when the energy hit it and caused it to fly from his reach. He continued to attempt to dodge and counter the blasts but it was getting harder, with the rain wetting his wings, to evade the shots. 

Every time Yue tried to get close enough to help Rakesh, Soren would notice him and keep him away. Yue noticed that Soren was leading Rakesh farther from his staff and Yue kept trying to get close enough to pull it out of the tree it had been impaled upon. 

Soren finally fired one large blast and caught Rakesh's left wing, causing him to plummet once again to the ground. Rakesh landed as best he could but his staff was now at the other end of the field with Soren separating him from it. 

At this point, Soren was becoming tired of this little game and decided to end it now. He began powering up his largest attack yet, now willing to kill this man who would defy him, at any cost. Rakesh noticed this and began chanting the most powerful attack he knew. Even without his staff, he was a formidable opponent when he had to be. 

Yue was just about to reach the staff when a shadow came out of nowhere and grabbed him from behind. Try as he might he couldn't shake the winding shadow from his person. 

The rain continued to beat down heavily upon the two magicians as two great balls of magical energy was forming between them. A great ball of white light and one of dark light continued to grow and form as the two concentrated all of their magical energies into the two attacks. 

The magic was simultaneously released and the two attacks hurtled towards one another. At the point of impact came a great explosive blast that caused the two magicians and the moon guardian to be thrown from their feet. 

Rakesh flew through the air and hit several small trees. The force of his impact caused many of them to splinter and break. Soren also flew back, but his impact caused him more than excruciating pain. He had used so much magic in making his final blast that his shield was no longer up and when he hit Rakesh's staff it pierced his chest. The shadow had released Yue once its master was no longer in control and Yue quickly flew over Rakesh's side. 

Just then, Clow and Keroberus broke through the brush and out onto the field. As far as they could see everything had been taken care of. Rakesh's staff had skewered the bad guy but Rakesh himself was not in good shape. 

As he approached, Yue could see that Rakesh had severe burns all up and down his front. Being ever cautious of any injuries he may have sustained, Yue picked up Rakesh's top half and cradled him to his chest. His eyes opened and he looked up into the eyes of his lovely moon angel. 

The rain had become just a little drizzle and everyone was too busy fussing over Rakesh to notice that Soren was still alive at the moment. He saw that Rakesh had not been killed and so as a sort of dying wish he called out to the little group. When he began speaking everyone turned their heads in his direction with surprise written across their features. "I will see you in hell Rakesh," and with that he used what little magic he had to cast a final spell. 

Rakesh began writhing and crying out in pain. Clow recognized the Curse of the Soul being cast and attempted to counteract it. He was too late. With the last words spoken, Soren slumped over and died. 

Clow knew that there was no counter curse for this but he knew what he could do. He began chanting a spell of his own in an attempt to save Rakesh's soul from an eternity of damnation. The Curse of the Soul took the soul from its owner and forever placed it in limbo. It could neither be reborn or sent to the heavenly plain. His spell was going to delay the curse until the next life. Rakesh's soul would be reborn and maybe then someone will find a counter curse. He would remember everything about this life in this next lifetime but he would also have another life. 

Rakesh's pain began to lessen but his breathing became ragged. He knew that his death was near. He looked up into the face of his Moon Angel and raised his hand to cup Yue's right cheek with his left hand. Yue leaned into the touch, tears evident in his eyes, and took one last look at the love of his life. "Don't leave me," Yue pleaded, his voice barely above a whisper. 

"We will meet again. I am sure of that." Rakesh whispered his voice strained with his shortness of breath. "My moon angel, Yue . . ." and with that, Rakesh's eyes closed and his hand dropped to his side and he breathed his last. 

Yue clutched the body of his former love to his chest, not willing to let go just yet. The tears he had held back until then streamed unchecked down his cheeks. Clow and Keroberus could only look on with sadness in their own hearts as their guardian and brother lost his one and only.   


**********

  


A few days after that torturous event, a funeral was held and Rakesh's body was buried in the town graveyard. Soren's body was burned and the staff that he had been impaled upon was stored away with anything else Rakesh had brought with him during his short stay at the mansion. 

Yue had made a promise to himself that he would not cry and he was thoroughly intent on keeping that promise. He also told himself that he would never love anyone ever again. He stood at the end of the grave and tossed a single white feather from his own wings into the grave. He watched as it floated down and landed on the coffin. He then turned and spread his wings, flying back towards the mansion. 

Clow and Keroberus watched this with sad eyes, their Moon Guardian would never be the same and they both knew it. Unfortunately they could do nothing about it as he wouldn't even speak of his emotions and when they were brought up he would deny anything and leave the room. 

When Yue arrived at the mansion he landed on the balcony of his room and stepped inside. He was the Moon Guardian of the Clow Cards. His purpose was to protect Clow and be the judgment maker and guardian for the next owner of the Clow Cards. He was impassive and cold and would do his duty as guardian, no more, no less. He would never fall in love again . . . 

The End . . ?

  


* * *

  
A/N: That's it. That really is the end but there is a sequel. You did't really think I'd leave it like that do you? Heck no, I wanted to know what becomes of Yue and Rakesh too. 


End file.
